Reflux and sleep position: what parents should know
Short answer: Keep the sleep surface flat and put your baby down on their back. The Lullaby Trust says tilting or propping the mattress does not help reflux. Talk to your doctor.
Step by step
- Do not use wedges or positioners.
- Speak to your GP or health visitor about reflux.
What the guidance says
- Keep the sleep surface flat. Do not incline, tilt or prop the mattress, cot or baby: it does not help reflux. Speak to your doctor about reflux.
- Sleeping a baby on their front or side greatly increases the risk of SIDS. Back sleeping is safest unless a doctor has advised otherwise.
- The evidence does not show an increased risk of choking for healthy babies sleeping on their backs.
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep, in the feet-to-foot position (feet at the bottom of the cot, Moses basket or pram).
Shop at Baby Kingdom
- Obaby Foam Cot Mattress 120 x 60 cm
- Jay-Be® Toddler Anti-Allergy Sprung Mattress
- Ickle Bubba Premium Sprung Cot Mattress 100 x 50cm
- Ickle Bubba Fibre Cot Mattress 120 x 60 cm
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
Are travel cots all the same size?Can a 1 year old sleep in a cot?What cots does Baby Kingdom sell?Can a newborn have a cot bumper?Can a 10 month old sleep on their tummy?Can a 9 month old have a cot bumper?All safe sleep and sleep spaces advice →
Sources
- The Lullaby Trust: Sleeping position (accessed 2026-10-21)
- The Lullaby Trust: Safer sleep true or false cards (accessed 2026-10-21)
- NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (accessed 2026-10-21)
General information only, not medical advice. Always follow your product's instructions. If you are worried about your baby, contact your GP, health visitor or 111. In an emergency, call 999.